


It Was Always You

by EvilConcubine



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies), Thor - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Bonding, Community: norsekink, Insecure!Loki, Jealousy, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mpreg, Multiple Orgasms, Plot, Prison
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-14
Updated: 2014-03-14
Packaged: 2018-01-15 16:56:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 21,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1312303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EvilConcubine/pseuds/EvilConcubine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>~<br/>Loki's Jötunn nature chooses to strike in the worst possible situation. Thor can't abandon his suffering brother, but his help is going to have consequences.<br/>~</p>
            </blockquote>





	It Was Always You

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first story posted on AO3. I have a problem finding (sometimes I post anonymously) and moving my other stories here, especially my multi-chaptered stories. The lack of free time makes such things pretty difficult. But this one is new, so I see no problem posting it as one chapter.
> 
> As usual, I want to warn my readers that English is not my native language. Unlike Thor and Loki, betas and I are not meant to be (speaking from experience here). I hope you're going to enjoy reading the story, regardless.
> 
> This is one of my contributions to the 'norsekink' community. Originally posted here: [norsekink](http://norsekink.livejournal.com/12132.html?thread=30611556#t30611556)

 

     Loki knew these symptoms, and his heart was anxious at the realisation that he wasn't imagining it. The symptoms appeared gradually and, just like the first time it had happened to him, over two years earlier, it all had started with upset stomach, lack of appetite and thirst. He had barely eaten anything for three days now, but he needed more water than usual, and it brought some relief when it ran down into his slightly unsettled stomach, abating nausea, even though it wasn't enough to make him want to eat anything.

     Just like the first time it had happened, he felt restless and anxious. He felt abandoned, alone and forgotten, which was making him feel both bitter and distressed. He still hoped, against all hopes, that all of it wasn't a harbinger of something that he didn't even want to think about. He even tried to make up completely different reasons for his current condition. But, of course, he wasn't that blind or lucky; four days after he'd started noticing all those symptoms, he went into heat, and he knew it was only the beginning. It was going to progress and become insufferable, and he would see no end to the shameful torture.

 

     He spent the entire night awake, too fidgety to even try lying down. By the early morning he was already squirming on his warm, sensitive bottom, already wet down there. His member was painfully hard and slightly leaking as well. He was feverish and aroused; his body was shivering, going hot and cold alternately. It was most unpleasant. He tried to touch himself, but, as expected, it brought him no relief; on the contrary, it was actually making him even more frustrated.

 

'I need to see Thor', he said, addressing two guards that were walking past his cell, obviously on beat before the end of their shift. Both looked tired, annoyed and, apparently, determined to ignore the restless fallen prince. Loki clenched his teeth in frustration. He started pacing the cell like a caged animal, despite feeling weak and feverish, trying to ignore the intense, hot sensation in his lower stomach and the disgusting wetness in his trousers.

     Ten minutes later he tried to talk to another pair of guards. They were equally annoyed, but Loki refused to give up, following them on his side of the magical wall, as far as the size of his cell allowed him to.

'I need to see him', he tried again. There was more desperation rather than demand in his voice this time, and he hated the fact that he was debasing himself like that. But his heat was killing him and he knew it was getting worse; it was already painful, and it was way more hurtful to his pride than the necessity to make the guards hear him out.

'Quiet, prisoner!' one of the guards barked.

'This is important', Loki tried again, trying to sound firm and composed. The other guard, the younger of two, rolled his eyes and stopped in front of Loki's cell while his partner kept walking.

'You must have forgotten where you are, Your Majesty. We aren't your messengers. Besides, Prince Thor must be away again after his recent visit to Álfheim. He has not been seen for days now. He's probably on Midgard with his woman', the guard explained, almost sounding as if he was talking to a mentally retarded person.

'With his...' Loki was taken aback and his heart sank.

'Yes. Now keep quiet and stop making noise', the guard said sternly, a warning in his voice, before he left to catch up with his partner.

 

     Loki was overwhelmed. He was both furious and feverish, and everything was too much. He was hurting physically. He wrapped his arms around his midsection, tightly, as if trying to keep something hot and cutting from causing any more damage to his insides. It was expected that his body wasn't recognising arousal any longer, despite the fact that it wasn't going anywhere, but it, most definitely, recognised the pain of rejection and betrayal. The first time Loki had been in heat, his coupling with Thor had bound them together, but it didn't work both ways. It was Loki who depended on Thor, not the other way around. They weren't together in it. His body, his very being, everything that Loki was, desired Thor and Thor alone; he longed for his only real lover. Loki hated it. He hated being an animal, a filthy beast that went into heats and lost all possible control of himself, as well as the remains of his dignity, not to mention that his heats were disgusting and messy. It was already bad enough. But now the feeling of betrayal had overshadowed even that. Loki wailed quietly, no longer capable of holding back. Angry, helpless tears ran down his face.

     He used what little willpower he had to create the illusion that everything was perfectly normal in his cell to an outside viewer, but he knew he was too unfocused to sustain it properly, so even a complete idiot with weak eyesight would be able to see that it wasn't real. But, at least, the pathetic illusion was enough to conceal what really was going on inside.

     There were furniture and tableware, but they weren't enough for Loki's wrath. He burnt everything with his magic, threw things around with both his magic and his bare hands, screaming and wailing.

'Of course, he's with " **his woman** "!' he spat with the hate so tangible that it could tear people apart were they unfortunate enough to be in his cell now. 'Where else?! His... woman!!!' a massive part of the table hit the wall so hard that quite a few wooden slivers broke away from it and were scattered all over the cell as a result. 'Curse you, Thor! I hope you die the most disgraceful death possible and rot in Helheim, licking Hela's hands like a worthless lapdog!' he yelled, his voice very nearly a shrill in the end. Another piece of furniture was destroyed, both burned by magic and broken by being forcefully thrown against the floor.

     Loki couldn't stop, nor did he try to stop the endless stream of the most hateful and inventive profanity coming out of his mouth. But, in the end, he found himself lying on the floor, sobbing. He would never have the person he desired most. He would never have that person loving him the way he, Loki, loved. Thor had never felt anything like that for him. The awareness of that fact had been a constant ache in Loki's chest, but, now that his hormones were heavily involved, it felt like a global catastrophe; except it wasn't: he was alone in this.

 

     He curled up on the floor of his destroyed cell, crying and shaking, as his heat intensified, competing with his emotional state, and it was hard to tell which was worse, even if both things were very much related to each other. It didn't feel like it though, and he felt torn.

 

* * *

 

     Something was different this morning, it was very much clear, but Thor couldn't put a finger on what exactly was wrong. He'd overslept and woke up half-hard, but he didn't think it had anything to do with his strange mood. He wasn't sure though. He knew, however, that he didn't have much time to ponder it over, since his tutor was already waiting for him in Thor's antechamber, as one of his servants had informed him earlier. His tutor was annoyingly punctual, and Thor didn't like it when somebody had to wait for him in one of his chambers. Knowing that they were there, made him feel as if they could be disappointed about his tardiness and thought that he wouldn't make a good, responsible king. Not that it was necessarily true. Odin was a great king and people were always respectful and eager to wait for an audience, no matter how long it took; so Thor was, most definitely, imagining problems that weren't there. Or maybe it had something to do with how weird he felt today.

     The thoughts of responsibilities allowed Thor to will his, oddly persistent, for no apparent reason, erection away. He had no time to take care of it anyway. He washed himself hastily and dressed up, as his quiet servant had brought his attire and held it out for him.

     His tutor got up off the chair and bowed respectfully when Thor had entered his antechamber. They exchanged their greetings, and the old, but quite energetic man followed Thor into his cosy study to start the lesson on politics.

 

     It was his duty to his people to take the throne, allowing his tired father to retire in several years. Thor would have to take his place as King then. But becoming a knowledgeable king was absolutely essential. People loved him a lot, but he was no longer a naïve Golden Prince, who believed that being loved and popular was enough to make him a good ruler. He loved Aesir; Asgard was his priority and he had to rule her wisely to avoid bringing a change for the worse once his Father stepped down. Of course, Odin wouldn't leave him without support and advice, and neither would Frigga, but he had to be ready to take the responsibility. So, apart from following his Father's guidance and doing some important (or not particularly important) things on his request, Thor had started to take lessons on some essential subjects.

     And he had been a diligent learner, or, at least, tried to be one... But not today. Today, even trying felt like a challenge that he wasn't sure he was ready to accept. He could hardly focus on the lesson, his mind kept wandering off. The tutor noticed it and suggested to call it quits for the day, The man was aware that Thor had been actively studying for eight days now, giving up on many other important things for the time being, as he had no time for them, trying to make up for the lost time, a month, to be precise, that he'd spent on Álfheim, invited by her king. So the tutor probably thought that Thor needed a break for a day or two, since there was no point in studying if one's attention was somewhere else; it was nothing but a waste of time. Thor was grateful for the understanding. And maybe the man was right and Thor had really taken more lessons than he could take to stay focused. It could explain his mood today.

 

     There had been more lessons planned for this day, the next one should've been the lesson on the cultures of the other realms (the only subject Thor actually liked, apart from the war history and strategies). Thor sent one of his servants to cancel everything else for the day and spent some time trying to collect his thoughts. It was already past afternoon and he thought about things he could possibly do today, since his plans had changed. He wanted to spend time with his dear friends. He missed them and he knew they missed him as well. He felt guilty for ever considering leaving Asgard to spend, at the very least, a couple of years on Midgard, just to avoid his birthright duties, thinking that there was too much responsibility for him to handle. It had been unworthy of him to consider leaving his people. Asgard was his home, his people were here, his friends he'd known for centuries were here, and his family was here as well. They needed him and he needed them. The only reason he'd ever felt he didn't belong was the fact that he strongly felt the loss of Loki and nothing felt the same here without his brother's cunning smile, his voice, his very presence... But living on Midgard would've never made him feel any different. He knew it now and it brought some relief that he hadn't made the mistake of leaving his life behind for some ridiculous illusion of having some new, carefree life, like the one of a mortal, while he was nothing like them. Instead, he'd accepted his fate and his duties, and it had lifted some weight off his shoulders as he'd made his decision. Seeing pride and relief in the eyes of his parents was already a reward. He could always visit Midgard, it wasn't going anywhere, and what he lacked most wasn't on Midgard anyway.

     He took a deep breath and suddenly froze at the realisation that there was something unusual about the smell of the air. It was faint, but painfully familiar. And then it hit him... It was Loki's smell, the scent of his arousal. No, it couldn't be. Thor's senses were, most definitely, misleading him. And how could he recall that scent anyway after having been introduced to it only once? It was a mistake, there was no other explanation. But, if it wasn't, if, for some miraculous reason, Thor could smell Loki's scent from here, it meant that Loki was in heat again.

     He could wait it out and see if the illusion, if it was one, disappeared, but, if Loki truly was in heat, the Thunderer knew that his brother was suffering; Thor knew far too well that the heats were torturous for Loki. And, of course, he had known it would happen again eventually, he just didn't know how frequent Loki's heats were, as he'd witnessed only one, which, as far as he was aware, was the only one Loki had ever had.

     Thor still thought he was imagining it, but he had to be certain about it, so he left his chambers and headed in the direction of the dungeons, the most protected prison on Asgard. He was walking at a normal pace, but, the closer he was to his destination, the more he believed that his mind wasn't actually playing tricks on him. Everything was saturated with Loki's faint scent, but nobody else seemed to notice. People were busy with their own affairs and nothing seemed off. Nobody else was affected. It wasn't that Thor himself was particularly affected; he could ignore it now that he knew the possible cause of his strange mood today, but he had to check if Loki was fine, to confirm or disprove his suspicions, and act accordingly. If Loki was indeed in heat, it was very unlikely that he was even remotely all right; Thor had seen it before. If his senses weren't deceiving him, it also meant that he had evidence that helping Loki through his first heat had created some kind of a bond between them. He wondered what it meant for the both of them.

     Soon enough, he was in the dungeons; guards bowed to him and let him pass freely. On the way to Loki's cell, he had enough time to recall what had happened more than two years back.

 

* * *

 

     It all had started with Thor noticing that Loki wasn't eating. He had been in the custody of S.H.I.E.L.D. for several days now, but Thor kept a watchful eye on him (for both Loki's and the Midgardians' good). He had been placed into a transparent cell, similar to the one, in which Thor had been dropped from the Helicarrier, but they'd said this one was even more reinforced. It hardly made any difference since Loki's magic was restrained and there was no way for him to escape without it, unless he managed to trick everyone somehow. But he didn't look like he would've tried anyway. He looked weakened and apathetic instead.

     Nobody was inside the room where the cell was situated, the guards were outside that room, so Loki had some privacy, or would've had if not for the security cameras (although they were hard to locate here) and for the Thunderer, who visited quite often, having his own reasons for it, but hardly ever entered the transparent cell, usually standing outside and watching his little brother, who didn't seem to care about his presence at all.

 

     The Trickster's clothes had been temporarily taken away, as a precaution, in case there were some hidden weapons in it, so he was currently wearing a foam-white, pristine cotton t-shirt with the S.H.I.E.L.D. logo on one of the short sleeves (which he obviously hated; a couple of times Thor had caught him glaring at it with disgust, and if Loki had any sharp object in his cell, he would've most definitely cut the offending thing off) and equally white cotton trousers, pretty long, leaving Loki's bare feet almost covered, except for his toes, when he was standing. His wrists were manacled, but, on the second day of the Trickster's confinement, Thor had removed the chain for the time being. The manacles alone were sufficient to restrain Loki's magic (in fact, it was the cuffs that had been made to dampen magic, not the chain), and the Thunderer didn't want to restrain him physically as well, there had been no need for it so far. It was quite enough that the manacles were heavy.

     Seeing that Loki wasn't eating, Thor became suspicious about the food, but he tried some of it and tasted nothing unusual about it. The food wasn't poisoned and he didn't think any drugs had been added into it, since he felt no strange effects at all. So he decided that Loki was just being stubborn. But, at the same time, he didn't look well and drank a lot of liquid, completely ignoring the food. Thor's concerned questions were ignored; apparently, Loki wasn't in the mood to talk to him at all, even to snarl at him or mock him. If not for him looking so sickly, the Thunderer would've dismissed Loki's demeanour as an irritating stubbornness, and his hunger strike was simply meant to make Thor worried on purpose. But Loki didn't look healthy and ignored the concerns altogether.

     He wondered if it was somehow related to the beatings, delivered by the Green Beast. Loki hadn't been given enough time to heal before his magic had been restrained, and Thor started wondering if there was some serious internal damage, or even an internal bleeding, which would've explained his brother looking so unhealthy, weak and disinterested in food. When Thor asked if Loki required a healer, or a medic, as they called healers on Midgard, Loki finally snapped and told Thor to get out, annoyed by his persistence.

     The Thunderer left, but considered bringing a healer against Loki's will, if necessary. But, when Thor came back the next day, his brother looked troubled and quite restless, too. It wasn't often that the older god entered the glass cell, but this time he did. To his surprise, Loki immediately clung onto him, looking distressed and ill, no longer pale, but flushed, instead, as if running a fever. Thor couldn't help but wrap his arms around the slim, shaking body. He'd been angry at Loki, it was true, but, at the moment, he was only concerned about his little brother's well-being.

'Loki, what's wrong?' he asked anxiously. Loki was shaking all over, feverish, his skin hot to the touch. Somehow, Thor had a feeling that, if Loki had had no idea what was wrong before, he did know the answer now. He hesitated to give it though.

'Monsters go into heat', he finally replied a minute or two later, his voice low and trembling.

'What...' Thor froze, unsure he'd got the words right.

'Don't make me repeat!' Loki screeched so loudly that it seemed the large pieces of reinforced glass, or whatever it was, around them started to rattle in their frames at the despair and rage in his voice. Thor had to close his eyes for a few moments to will the ringing in his ears away. He'd heard that Jötnar had heat cycles, but he'd never wondered about it and, therefore, had little to no knowledge about it. The unexpected situation made him even more apprehensive and concerned about Loki's health. It wasn't a trick, it was very much clear. He looked away immediately after noticing that Loki was hard; it was visible through his cotton trousers.

'Brother...' Thor sighed, worried. 'Have you ever experienced it before?' he asked, trying to sound calm for the sake of them both. Loki shook his head 'no', avoiding the eye-contact, quite possibly due to embarrassment.

     Later, Thor would ponder it over and come to conclusion that Loki's slumbering nature had started to awaken when he had touched the Casket, fully turning himself into his Jötunn form (of which Thor had learned during a long conversation with Odin, when they'd found strength to talk about it, long weeks after Loki had thrown himself into the abyss). The version seemed passable, unless it was normal for the Jötnar to have their first heats this late in life, which seemed very unlikely. No, Loki's body was just late to enter its very first heat, and the time and place weren't appropriate, to say the least. Not only that, but, later, Thor would learn that not all Jötnar went through heats. It was more like a remnant of the past, and, due to their evolution, it was slowly disappearing with each new generation, or maybe they did something specific to get rid of it on purpose. Loki's condition, including its time and place, was an unfortunate concatenation of circumstances.

'Tell me what to do to help you', Thor offered sincerely, and gently cupped Loki's neck, a gesture they were both familiar with. Loki leaned into his touch and closed his eyes, looking almost serene. His slightly trembling lips parted and he inhaled through his mouth shakily, then pressed himself even harder against Thor, as if trying to disappear inside the embrace. His face was beautiful and flushed, despite not looking healthy, his lips reddened. Thor was so confused and mesmerised that he'd missed the moment those lips first touched his own. It took him a few moments to realise what was going on and to feel Loki's hard member against his thigh. He grabbed Loki's shoulders and pushed him away, hoping he wasn't too harsh.

'Loki...' he gasped, frowning. He was still holding the narrow shoulders, but Loki tore himself away, looking hurt. As he turned away, Thor suddenly noticed a large wet spot on the back of his white cotton trousers and between his legs. But he didn't have enough time to take a good look at it to make sure he wasn't imagining it, as Loki sat down on the bed and curled up on himself, shaking; a single tear ran down his cheek. 'Loki, please, tell me what to do to stop this', Thor whispered helplessly, nervously rubbing his own face with his hands and running them through his hair. He wasn't sure if approaching Loki now was a good idea.

'You know exactly what to do', Loki hissed irritably, but tiredly, at the same time. 'I'm fairly certain the answer is obvious even to you'.

'There must be another way'.

'Of course there is', Loki hissed again. 'Why don't we disgrace me even further by asking your little mortals for help? Is this what you're thinking of?! Let's discuss my humiliating condition with your beloved mortals! I've no doubt they know everything about monsters and their heats, and their advice will be most helpful! Why don't you bring all of them here to poke, prod and pry; to make a spectacle out of my body?!' he snarled, his eyes wet and red-rimmed. Thor immediately knew he was right. He had only thought of talking to those whom he trusted, who could scan Loki with their machines to possibly find a solution; but his brother was right, and Thor suddenly realised that he could trust nobody with something like this. He hadn't even known all those people long enough to even start discussing anything this delicate with them, not to mention it was about his little brother, regardless of the circumstances.

'I'm sorry...' he murmured, slowly reaching out to give his brother a comforting touch, but then he stopped halfway and retracted his hand, not willing to cause even more discomfort. Loki had noticed it, though, and, very likely, took it as a sign that Thor was disgusted with him just like Loki was disgusted with himself.

'Just... Just get out...' he whimpered and wrapped his arms around himself, as if attempting to give himself some comfort.

'No. I can't leave you alone like this', Thor replied softly. Loki was rocking back and forth now, looking distressed and obviously suffering. His heat resembled some aggravated illness more than anything else at all.

'You do not know what's it's like to be next to you now. You were born to torment me, to make me look up at something I could never have', he said. He sounded hopelessly resigned, his voice quiet. And Thor, finally, gave up on trying to keep his hands to himself, instead of giving a comforting touch. He pressed his warm palm against Loki's back. The younger of the two immediately pressed himself against it. Thor noticed that he looked like he was cold.

'Are you cold?' he enquired.

'Cold and hot... I'm not even certain any longer', Loki replied, shivering. The Thunderer sat down behind him and wrapped his arms around the smaller body, pressing it against his chest and stomach. Loki was seemingly afraid to move, as if it would make Thor go away, but it was, apparently, hard for him to keep his own restless body still, as it begged for so many things. His breathing was ragged and he kept trembling, but it felt like he was savouring every touch, finding some comfort in it, but it wasn't enough; it wasn't enough at all. 'You're only making it worse by teasing me', he sighed, his voice unsteady and pleading. He grew bolder and started to carefully rub his back and bottom against Thor's front, making very quiet, delicious noises. The older of the two wasn't sure what to think and what to do. He was already half-hard, though.

'Have you tried pleasuring yourself?' he asked carefully, still hoping to find a way around it. He couldn't believe he was even having this talk with his brother now.

'If you must know, I have', Loki replied irritably, before Thor had even finished the question. 'It brings no relief. It's useless...' He became more vocal, as he kept rubbing himself against Thor's front. 'Just lie with me... Make me yours. I'll make you feel good in me...'

     The Thunderer could see how much his brother needed it, how desperate he was for it, but he felt uneasy for giving in so easily. He was experiencing a serious internal fight, yet he was already aroused, feeling Loki's warmth and friction through his dark-blue leather trousers with red strips and sleeveless cloth shirt, his arms bare and wrapped around the lean, shaking body. He felt torn. At the same time, he knew that Loki was already humiliated, and he didn't want to humiliate him with rejection, in addition. He was aware that the idea of bedding Loki shocked him less than it should have. It was stirring almost forgotten desires he'd once harboured, a long time ago when they had been youths, when Thor's eyes had unwillingly lingered on Loki's leather-clad, or clothed, lean thighs and on the naked ones, when Thor had been lucky (or unlucky) enough to see those thighs and some other body parts that had suddenly become interesting enough to want to touch them. Those were the desires Thor had never acted on in any way possible, and had made sure to chase them away very quickly. A lot of ladies, very interested in the young Golden Prince, had been quite helpful at forgetting things that were shameful and inappropriate.

     And now... Now it was just Loki and he; his brother was in heat and Thor was already a part of it, regardless of how wrong it probably was. He put his hands on his Loki's hips to still him.

'Wait', he said, getting up. If he was to lie with Loki, there was something he had to do first.

'No...' The younger male grabbed his hand and made him stop, as Thor was about to head to the exit. Loki looked and sounded panicked. 'No, no... I'm sorry!' he exclaimed desperately. Confused, the Thunderer wondered what his brother was apologising for, if the apology itself was even sincere and was not merely a way to get what he so desperately wanted; or he could be thinking that he'd been too persistent and Thor had had enough of it. The blond shook his head frantically and took the panicked face in his hands to look straight into the green eyes, trying to give some comfort and assurance.

'I shall be back with you in no time, I promise, brother, I swear. Do not fret', he assured. He embraced Loki once more, as a promise and a gesture of comfort. His brother clung to him again, as if trying to absorb some of Thor's warmth, his essence, afraid that it was going to be taken from him for good, despite the Thunderer's promises.

     As soon as Thor managed to free himself from Loki's frantic and desperate hold, he went straight to the control centre and approached the agents who, as far as he knew, were in charge of watching the prisoner.

'My brother is having an unexpected issue of a personal nature. I'm appealing to your decency to turn off every contraption that allows you to conduct any type of surveillance. I assume overall responsibility, and I swear on Mjölnir that no harm shall come from my brother', he promised, sounding firm and loud, and solemn. 'I must insist', he said just as firmly, as soon as he'd seen one of the agents opening his mouth to protest. The mouth was immediately closed shut. By their looks, it was obvious that they already knew what was going on. After all, they were here to watch and listen to everything that was happening in Loki's cell. Thor watched them sternly, daring them to refuse to give him what he asked for. Meanwhile, one of the agents was already contacting somebody, possibly Fury, but Thor couldn't hear the conversation, so he was waiting for it to be over. On one of the monitors the Thunderer could observe Loki, still sitting on the bed, shivering and hugging himself tightly, looking ill, running a fever, and Thor knew he had to be there with him, instead of waiting for the agents to discuss things among themselves.

'F-for how long?' one of them finally asked, looking positively intimidated by The God of Thunder.

'For as long as I'm there with him', Thor replied. They didn't like his answer and there was more discussion on the subject. He knew exactly how valuable he was and, if he needed a favour, he had every right to expect it to be given to him.

     In the end, two of the three agents left their workplaces; the one who was still there turned off every camera and microphone inside the room where Loki's cell was situated. The only cameras that weren't turned off were outside the room where the guards were on duty near the doors.

 

     Thor was a person that was prone to trusting people, and it usually came easily to him, but that didn't mean he was naïve, especially when the well-beings of his loved-ones were at stake. While the circumstances had made him join the Avengers, it didn't mean he trusted S.H.I.E.L.D. He could work with them, but trusting them was an entirely different matter, and when Loki's magic had been restrained, Thor made sure to keep a watchful eye on his brother and people who had access to him. Thor had an idea of what mortals did to those whom they called 'alien species' or even their own people, who had unusual abilities by human standards, were considered dangerous and weren't strong enough to avoid being caught. So-called 'human rights' were easily forgotten in those cases, as such people were taken apart in every way possible, and the barbaric experiments weren't even considered barbaric, because there was always an excuse that they were conducted 'for the good of humanity', to collect information by taking apart one to protect many, to know how to protect the mankind if similar species appeared and didn't act friendly, for example.

     Or, at least, that was what rumours said about the Midgardian secret services. Thor wouldn't usually meddle with anything like that, it was not a concern of his, but now that his brother was in their custody, he wanted to make sure that no harm was done to him (and, only secondly, that no harm came **from** him). That was the reason he stayed close to Loki, and he wanted the agents and the guards to be aware that he was protective of his little brother, despite the recent events. He hoped they were clever enough not to risk causing an interrealm conflict. They didn't have to know that Thor wasn't sure how Asgard would react and how eager his people, especially the court, would be to throw Loki to the dogs. But it was enough that Thor himself wouldn't allow it; and Loki had parents, who also were the King and the Queen of Asgard, regardless of how disappointed Odin was in his fallen son. But Loki was too dear to Thor to just hope that all these mortals were wise enough. The employees of S.H.I.E.L.D. were too numerous to believe that all of them were sensible and even remotely trustworthy. Even the majority of Thor's new shield-brothers, the other Avengers, didn't entirely trust S.H.I.E.L.D, as far as he could tell.

 

     There was still a good chance they had lied to him and their equipment was turned on again, or would be soon, but he had done what he could and what he had to. They had given their consent, and, if later Thor found out that their word had been broken, he would confront them about it and give a serious headache to Fury, who hated Norse gods giving him headaches.

     But now Thor had more pressing matters to attend to, still having a trouble to believe that what was going on was real. He came back to Loki, who looked unwell, but relieved upon seeing him, his pupils wide. He even stood up, as if attempting to make them reach each other faster. Thor gave him a soothing touch and an embrace, uncertain of how to move things further. Pretty soon, Loki turned around and, looking even more feverish than before, was squirming and rubbing his wet, hot bottom against Thor's muscular thigh. Apparently, the older of the two hadn't imagined it; Loki was, indeed, wet down there. He coaxed the younger male to get on the bed on his knees, and bent him forward, so that his bottom was presented to Thor's eyes. The back of the cotton trousers was practically soaking wet with some clear liquid, resembling the one that a female's arousal produced, but the amount of it was quite surprising. Thor touched the wet stain carefully. It was almost just as large as his hand, and it was warm, almost hot. Loki looked clearly uncomfortable in his wet trousers. The Thunderer dragged them down together with the underwear and examined Loki's bottom, spreading his cheeks apart, which earned him a shaky gasp from the younger male, who obediently remained in the position he had been put in. Evidently, the heat had slightly changed his anatomy, at least for the time being. Thor was wondering for how long, since he had a very little idea about Jötnar in heat, or, better said, no idea at all.

     Loki's hole looked a little loose, slightly open even, slightly swollen and inflamed, too, and quite wet with that clear, whitish discharge. The hole twitched, when Thor spread the pale buttocks wider. He felt himself hardening a little more at the sight. Everything down there, including Loki's genitalia, looked flushed. There were even a few very small and barely visible broken blood vessels on the skin of his private parts.   

'Stop staring', Loki complained, irritation and pure embarrassment in his voice. 'Stop...'

'Does this hurt?' Thor asked, tentatively touching Loki's perineum. It felt hot to the touch, although, he really doubted it would've been **this** hot if Loki was in his Jötunn form.

'I don't know. I just need... It's a constant ache... Make it stop', Loki whimpered, pressing back against the touch.

     There was no turning back now. Thor undressed Loki and then himself, trying to make it as quick as he could, because he could see that his brother was trying his best to be patient. But he cried out, as soon as Thor's naked flesh pressed against his; the muscular chest and stomach flush against the pale back and small, firm buttocks. Loki was keening, incoherent pleads escaping him; Thor's own name was the only thing the older of the two could make out. He didn't want to wait any longer and pushed himself deep into Loki's bottom, not too fast, to ensure that the willing (more than just willing) body had no trouble accepting his length and width, but with clear determination to bury himself inside it. Not only he saw no signs of pain, but Loki seemed to be losing his mind to both bliss and relief. When Thor was fully inside the wet, tight, pulsating heat, he needed a moment to collect himself, feeling so incredibly good that he had to calm down a little. He wanted to be careful, because his brother's body still bore the marks of beating, but, as he started moving, Loki was constantly and wordlessly spurring him on, so, pretty soon, his thrusts were very fast and hard, flesh slapping against flesh. Thor had never thought his brother was capable of producing noises like those that were escaping him now. Loki was beyond himself with pleasure, and beyond himself with the torturous, constant need for more, emitting the never-ending stream of loud, shuddering gasps and cries.

     If, in the very beginning, Thor had tried to convince himself that he was doing all of this for Loki, he soon realised that he was enjoying himself a little too much for that to be the case, so he simply gave in. He gave and took pleasure again and again. He needed breaks and Loki was as patient as he was capable of being, waiting for Thor to be hard for him again (thankfully, it never took too long, even though for Loki it probably felt longer than Thor imagined). And then he was pushing into the smaller body again. Loki seemed to be on the brink of insanity, experiencing one mind-blowing orgasm after another, occasionally with no intervals between them at all, as the new one started before the previous one had even abated.

     Sometimes Thor managed to soothe Loki enough for them both to nap for some time. And they slept in each other's arms, their legs entwined. Once, he even managed to sneak out and quickly get some food. Loki still wasn't interested in eating, but Thor was terribly hungry. At least, there was no problem getting clean water in the room where Loki's cell was situated, since there was a tap there. Both of them needed water.

 

'It's you...' Loki suddenly started whimpering on the second day, his lean legs on Thor's shoulders. 'Of all people, it's you... Always meant to be you'. And the Thunderer wondered if Loki's mind was even registering the words that had just escaped him. Many words of passion and comfort had already been said (or moaned, groaned, cried and whispered), the latter by Thor, the former by the both of them; but this was new.

 

     It was the third day when the heat seemed to have started to die down, and, by the middle of the fourth day, it was over. Loki was deeply asleep. Thor took care of getting him clean clothes and bedcovers. Loki didn't even stir when he changed his bedcovers and put the clean clothes on him after cleaning him with wet cloths as best as he could.

     Thor was very tired as well, but the next day was the day of their departure to Asgard. Waking Loki up was a very hard task. He was allowed to have his own garments back, and Thor helped him to get dressed. He had no idea how many people knew what had happened between the two of them, but they were tactful enough not to mention it at all. Not even one word was spoken of it in his presence, and Thor was thankful for it. He complied when they said that his brother had to be chained and muzzled before he was allowed out of his cell, but the blond god really saw no reason for it: Loki was half-asleep and his head was tiredly resting against Thor's hip when the Thunderer was fastening the muzzle on the back of his head.

 

     Loki was calm and very tired when he was delivered to Asgard. In fact, he was so tired and sleepy that, when they were finally at the palace, he was stumbling and literally hanging on Thor, who was supporting his weight, feeling worried. When Loki was placed into his new cell, he slept for several days on end, which his body probably needed, not only to rest and heal, but to change back where it needed to.

     Thor himself was tired and sore (his groin in particular); he slept and ate a lot during his first few days at home, quite positive that he wouldn't even start thinking about having sex any time soon.

 

* * *

 

     The memories had allowed Thor to while away the time, as he kept walking through the long corridors of the dungeon. The scent that had brought him here seemed to have intensified a little, and he no longer had doubts about its source. So, it was true then, Loki was in heat again. Thor knew it hadn't happened without his knowledge, because the guards had been given strict orders to inform him about Loki's well-being, and, if he had entered the heat before, somebody would've definitely noticed it; it was impossible not to. And the Thunderer would've immediately come here. And, if the scent was meant to alert Thor specifically, it had never happened before; so it was safe to assume that Loki had entered his second heat.

 

     As soon as Thor approached his cell, he knew he was seeing a fake. Loki was standing in front of him, looking proud, cold and angry. The illusion was barely holding and had flaws, not to mention that it was slightly deformed, especially on the edges, so it didn't make a perfect picture at all. It was obvious that it took everything for the sorcerer to keep the illusion sustained. Thor was too close for the Trickster to have any possible self-control in his current condition.

     The Thunderer sighed in exasperation and rolled his eyes. And then he left, saying no word to the illusion of his brother, even though he knew it was causing even more distress and possibly panic, which was hidden behind the illusion; but he had to take care of a few things before starting anything. He moved towards the two nearest guards. They immediately bowed to him. Prince Thor wasn't a frequent guest here, so they looked... flattered at being approached by him.

'I need all the prisoners in this ward, with the exception of Loki, temporarily moved to another ward. I also require privacy from the guards and any other personnel. This ward should not be entered by anybody, until I say otherwise. It may take around four days. I apologise for the inconvenience, but this is an urgent matter'. No explanations from him were required. The guards bowed and immediately started to carry out his order. The other guards joined, already informed about their Prince's command, and it didn't take much time for them to move the grumbling and sighing prisoners that, thankfully, didn't make any trouble. Thor could see curiosity in the eyes of the guards, who were puzzled by Thor's unexpected visit and his order. He sent a messenger to the palace to inform his parents that he was going to be away for a few days, and requested not to be bothered, unless something serious happened. He gave no explanations. His parents would be able to learn the truth anyway, sooner or later. There was a great possibility that they already knew. Both of his parents were extremely powerful in the means of seiðr, and that could be more than enough for them to notice the changes in Thor and Loki, and possibly to learn about their bond, too (even if Thor was mostly unaffected by it), and how exactly it had been created; not to mention that they had Heimdall's eyes. And, since neither of his parents had confronted Thor about the entire matter, it was a rather good indication that they'd left it to their sons to decide what they intended to do about it; or rather to Thor, because so much depended on him. He could very well imagine their Mother being concerned about it, but, at the same time, expecting Thor to take the responsibility seriously and trusting him with it.

 

     The ward was silent now; the huge doors that separated it from other wards were closed. Thor smiled to himself and decided that the guards deserved a small reward from their Prince for being so quick at carrying out the unusual order that had made them violate the rules (maybe they would have a nice, paid, day off in a good tavern or a monetary addition to their wages). But he left it for later consideration, wasting no time on anything that had little to do with the reason he was here.

     Once more he was in front of Loki's cell. The illusion of his brother was glaring at him accusingly, with narrowed eyes. Thor knew he was guilty of not visiting Loki for a very long time, so he accepted the cold welcome as something that was well-deserved.

'I know you take me for a fool, brother, but this illusion would hardly fool a little child', Thor smiled, attempting to release tension, at least to some degree. 'Show yourself. I could smell your wetness from my own chambers, and thus you don't have to hide from me', he assured. Nothing changed for a few moments and Thor considered just entering the cell. But then the illusion was gone and the Thunderer was speechless, as he saw the condition of the cell. It was destroyed. There were stains of soot here and there, and everything was broken or burnt. And there, among that chaos, Loki was lying on the floor in tattered clothes, curled up into a tight ball, lying on his side, his back turned to Thor, making it impossible to see his face. The Thunderer definitely hadn't expected to see anything like this. Of course, he knew that, judging by the first heat, they weren't easy on Loki, to put it mildly, but this was something new entirely. Worried that his brother was injured, Thor entered the cell; the invisible magical wall let him pass freely, enchanted to recognise those who were allowed in and out. He approached the shaking body on the floor, knelt next to it and tried to touch his clearly distressed brother.

'Don't!' Loki protested angrily and recoiled from the touch. He crawled away and stood up, looking unsteady. Just as during his first heat, he was shaking and feverish, looking ill, dizzy and anguished. But it didn't make him look any less upset and furious now.

'Loki...' Thor tried to come closer.

'Get away from me!'

'Why?'

'You stink...' the younger of the two hissed, his eyes full of rage (and... hatred?). 'You stink of your mortal. I don't want to be touched by the hands that have touched some mortal whore!' he snarled, shuddering with squeamishness and disgust. Thor raised his blond eyebrows in disbelief, wondering what had made his brother so worked up.

'You must be imagining things, which is not surprising in your state', he replied, softly, trying to lighten the mood somehow, but failing due to being unprepared to deal with anything like this.

'You're a delusional dimwit if you think that she loves you! She doesn't even know you!' Loki yelled and furiously threw a broken chair at Thor. The Thunderer dodged, never taking his eyes off Loki, confused, but not shocked about the attempted attack. The already broken, burnt and lacking one leg, chair hit the floor and lost two more legs. Thor made a step forward and Loki made a step back, not allowing to shorten the distance between them.

'Loki, what has caused this? All of this', Thor asked seriously, looking around. He couldn't even start imagining what had given his little brother all these ideas. Was he delirious because the heat had affected him so? He started regretting not coming sooner, as soon as he'd thought he started imagining the scent, not that it would've made him come much sooner than he had. He wondered if it would've made much difference.

'Do you intend to keep me as... what do your precious mortals call it? A dirty little secret? Or it won't take long for you to start pretending that I don't exist?! Please, inform me when you drag her here to make her a queen. I shall kill myself the very day it happens, just to avoid being at the mercy of such "royalty"!' Loki spat with revulsion. Thor knew he wasn't joking, but he had to force himself not to smile incredulously at what he was hearing.

'Loki, you have always been prone to fantasies, but this... This is...' Thor made a helpless gesture, trying to find a good word to describe what he was seeing and hearing.

'Fantasies, Thor?! Then what took you so long to come here? It's been more than two years! And now you come here to see me in my most vulnerable!'

'I hope you do remember that we fought and you said you wanted me gone'.

'Since when you're so eager to do what I say?! It has never mattered before!' Loki snarled, but then he suddenly reeled and wrapped his arms around himself. Thor moved forward, worried, but, once more, his brother stepped back, looking dizzy, but determined to keep the distance.

'I was angry with you, for many reasons. And I had every right to be. And... I needed time. I still do. But it doesn't mean I do not care and it doesn't mean I shan't be here when you need me', Thor tried to explain.

'How very kind of you. You must have been too busy with **something** else to waste your time on a Jötunn animal until it started to reek so much it has started to interfere with your happy life', Loki said bitterly, his eyes full of tears. To Thor it was very clear that by 'something' Loki meant 'someone', but the latter, obviously, seemed too respectful to use referring to Jane. Loki was livid with jealousy, he looked wild and murderous and devastated at the very thought of not being one and only.

'Loki, let me take care of you', the Thunderer offered gently. He could see how his words, his voice, affected Loki's entire being, his body that desperately needed attention. 'We are in this together', the blond god promised.

'No! It must have escaped your attention that it is **I** who depends on you, while you can keep fucking around and ignoring me for years! I don't need your charity and I'm not going to be fucked out of kindness! How can you humiliate me so?' Loki's voice broke in the end and the tears finally escaped his eyes.

'It's not like that. Loki, please...'

'I should've been claimed by somebody else on Midgard; by a pathetic mortal... by a guard or by all of them, even if it meant not seeing them ever again and just suffering through heats all alone', Loki lamented, sounding distraught; no longer furious, just tired, hurt and ill. 'I should've been fucked by somebody else, by somebody... '

'By somebody you do not care about?' Thor nodded. It wasn't really a question. His brother's feelings for him ran just as deep as his insecurities.

'I don't want you to forget about me... I don't want to share', Loki wept, turning his face away in shame. It broke Thor's heart to see him like this. Slowly and quietly, he finally approached his distressed brother and embraced him lightly, no longer expecting him to try to escape.

'I would never forget about you', Thor assured softly. 'You know how much you mean to me, don't you?' But, to his sadness, his brother shook his head 'no'. Despite that, Loki surrendered; tears of bitterness, shame and defeat kept running down his face. Thor tightened his embrace and pressed his lips against the pale neck and then against the tear-drenched cheek. For a moment, he felt as if he was taking advantage of his suffering brother, but he knew there was nothing like that. And, if he asked whether Loki really wanted Thor to take him or not, it would've humiliated the younger male beyond words and would've looked like just some kind of a favour Thor was doing him, nothing more, and the Thunderer wouldn't see the end of it, not to mention that he simply wouldn't want to hurt his brother like that. He knew Loki wanted it, wanted him and him alone.

     Loki looked embarrassed of his tears, confessions and his nature that was responsible for his heat, but then he slowly brought their lips together in a hesitant kiss, at first looking as if he wasn't fully aware of what he was doing. Thor kissed his eager lips back and deepened the kiss, trying to make his uncertain brother feel better about his own actions. It felt so good, so intimate... Soon, Loki's kisses turned desperate. He moaned into them, his hand was holding onto the collar of Thor's shirt, as if afraid that the blond god would change his mind and try to leave. Loki kissed his face; he was rubbing his own wet with tears face against the blond beard, slightly tugging onto the long blond strands of hair with the hand that didn't keep frantically clutching Thor's shirt collar. It was pleasant to have Loki rubbing his lithe body against Thor's firm, muscular one, clinging to it ardently. The older of the two was hard in no time as a result. When his hand travelled down the back of the shivering body and squeezed a pert, firm buttock (the clothes did little to cover the hotness of the skin), a long, throaty cry escaped the younger god and it felt like he could barely stand on his feet. Still, he very quickly resumed kissing Thor and pressing himself against him, moaning and panting, and being out of breath from the unbearable longing.

     The Thunderer knew that Loki wanted him inside above all other things, but it was clear that he wanted it to be more than just coupling. His insecurities could be the reason. He desperately wanted to make Thor like all of this so much that the older god would never find enough pleasure with anybody else and would come back to Loki. Thor smiled to himself at Loki's fervent attempts, basically, to win his favour, in a certain sense. He wanted to assure that it wasn't required, since he would always come back, but it seemed that words weren't really welcome at the moment. Loki was also probably trying to understand where he stood; despite his feverishness, he seemed to be carefully monitoring how eager Thor was to kiss back, to touch. Apparently, he needed to find out if the blond god was there just to help with the heat or it was more than that to Thor himself. Loki needed reassurances, and, judging by the scene Thor had been met with upon coming here, the younger of the two needed reassurances desperately. Thor felt as if he was the only one in the world for Loki (in all worlds), he felt as if he was everything to him, a centre that everything rotated round, the trunk of Yggdrasil itself, perhaps. Loki's body, Loki's everything was crying out for Thor; it was craving and hurting for him. It made the Thunderer feel giddy to have Loki so completely at his disposal. It was something that was only his to take, only his to own.

     Responding to the dark-haired god's passion and overpowering it with his own, Thor, nevertheless, managed to undress Loki in the process. After the breakdown Loki's clothes were ruined anyway, so there was no need to be particularly careful about it. Only then Thor parted himself from his now naked brother, to said brother's dismay. But Thor couldn't help stepping back to take a good look at him. And there he was: ivory, lean and naked, standing in the middle of the cell, apparently, weak in the knees, and quiet. His eyes were cast down in obvious shame and in something else that was hard to identify. Perhaps, it was obedience and submission that he felt and demonstrated, even though they didn't sit well with his normally not so subdued spirit. His black hair partially curtained his face; he was shaking, looking unbelievably vulnerable, his skin was covered in goose pimples. He was aroused and leaking pre-come, his private parts flushed. There was something really appealing about the fact that Loki was completely naked, while Thor was still fully dressed. He took a moment to admire the sight. But then he approached the shivering body again and ran his large hands up and down the lean thighs; he ran them over the smooth flanks and stomach, and came back to the thighs again. Loki was very responsive, moaning and pressing himself against the warmth of Thor's hands. The blond god kissed him and swallowed another loud and tortured noise as his hands were kneading the smooth, hot bottom, parting the cheeks wide, squeezing them and feeling the wetness around the crack, but not touching it just yet. Loki's cries were wordless pleas. Thor wanted to stroke his flushed, painfully hard, penis, but when he took it in his hand and squeezed it gently, Loki cried out, pressed his thighs together and moved his pelvis back, away from the touch.

'No...' he mewled. Evidently, he was too sensitive down there and the direct stimulation was too much for him. Thor didn't persist, although somewhere deep inside he had a dark desire to firmly hold Loki in place, tease his overly sensitive flesh with both feather light touches and unyielding strokes, and see Loki completely falling apart with insane, agonising pleasure. But the bigger part of him was compassionate and didn't want to torment his brother any longer. His own manhood was rock-hard and he only wanted to sheathe it into the trembling body he was holding in his arms. He wasn't sure he imagined hearing Loki sighing in both relief and impatience, as Thor had started undressing himself quickly. When he was naked, he left his dizzy, slightly reeling brother standing in the middle of the cell after assuring him with a kiss that he would tend to him very soon. Despite his desire, he tried to be practical and think of something that would make them both comfortable, since he knew there were days of Loki's heat ahead of them. Surprisingly, the bed had withstood Loki's wrath; it wasn't broken, but it had been thrown across the cell. It was upturned and slightly burnt in places, and the bedcovers were scattered about the floor, slightly burnt as well. And yet, all of it was mostly intact, unlike pretty much everything else in the cell. Thor turned the bed over and hastily positioned it the right way. He took only mostly undamaged linens and furs and put them onto the bed as neatly as he could, but not intending to waste too much time on it.

     Without saying a word, he led Loki, who was trembling in anticipation, to the bed and urged him to climb onto it, which he did obediently, only stopping for a moment, when Thor's lips kissed his neck, making him gasp quietly. Loki lay down on his stomach; his hips were slightly lifted off the bed in invitation. Thor slowly ran his hands over the mostly smooth body, rubbing his large, warm palms over the hot skin in slow circles. He couldn't help watching the way the naked, pale, and yet somewhat flushed, body was rubbing itself against the sheets and furs, looking so wanton and desirable that the Thunderer had to take a deep breath to steady himself. The gentle friction of Loki's bare chest against the soft furs made his nipples even harder, his skin was once more covered in goose pimples, his penis was twitching, heavy between his legs and he was panting and moaning into the furs, his black hair spread out on the bed in disarray. He turned his head to the side and arched his back when Thor's hands ran down his flanks. The blond god quickly pulled Loki's hips up, positioning him on his knees and Loki moaned in anticipation of being taken. He spread his legs a little wider, exposing his most private parts to Thor's eyes. He was flushed, wet and ready, just like the first time. Thor gently cupped his sack that was tightly drawn up against the inflamed-looking perineum, and gave Loki's crack a long, slow lick from the tight sack, over the leaking, slightly loose entrance and to the small of his back. Loki shuddered and keened, his face still on the bed, his arse in the air. The taste was just as Thor remembered: a little salty and not at all unpleasant. The scent was exactly the one that had brought him here, but faint even this close to the source. Thor liked it. He groaned and pushed his tongue right into the hot, wet entrance, giving it a deep open-mouthed kiss. Loki arched his back and cried out, but then he started to sound angry, frustrated and impatient, and Thor had to remind himself that the younger god was suffering and it was hardly a good time to tease him. They both knew there was only one thing that could bring him relief (with the exception of some kind of a medicine Jötnar used to suppress their heats or, at least, to ease the symptoms, as Thor had managed to learn from a book). Thor gave Loki's buttocks and hole a few more quick licks and easily manoeuvred the lithe body so that it was positioned across the bed, while Loki was still on his knees and forearms, his knees on the very edge of the bed. The blond god himself was standing on his feet at the side of the bed, his groin perfectly in front of Loki's buttocks now.

     He started entering Loki smoothly, holding him in place by his hips to avoid being plunged into the wonderful wet heat and tightness too fast for Thor's already too aroused flesh. Loki's breath hitched in his throat, as he was being penetrated by the long and wide member slipping into him rather slowly; he froze rigid at first, his eyes wide, looking into nowhere. But he was loudly sobbing in relief, as soon as Thor's entire length was buried inside his bottom, their thighs pressed flush together. The blond god let himself savour the feeling of being in Loki up to the hilt, and let the younger male savour the moment of being full; it was physically impossible to be any deeper. He knew that, very soon, it wouldn't be enough just to be inside and keep still. Loki's muscles were deliciously clenching around his member. It felt overwhelmingly pleasurable to be so deep inside.

     Loki looked beautiful, his eyes were closed, he was shaking and still sobbing, but, otherwise, didn't move. His bottom was firmly pressed against Thor's thighs, as if to make sure he was fully impaled; he wouldn't have agreed to anything less than this. And yet, it wasn't enough. Thor started moving, still holding Loki's hips in his hands. Very soon, the god in heat became too restless to stay on the bed, so he put his feet on the floor and bent over the bed, keeping his hands on it and trying to meet Thor's thrusts halfway, but was too feverish and not coherent enough to do a good job of it, so, once more, the Thunderer's hands held him in place. It only took seconds before Loki's body seized, his legs nearly gave out under him, he shrieked and then he was moaning loudly and raggedly, coming hard for the first time since this heat had begun.

     It was odd, but not new; it was the way his body worked during heats. He could experience an orgasm after an orgasm with only a very small amount of seed, if any, spilling each time he came; he barely stopped being hard at all. The same thing had been happening the first time the Thunderer had been helping Loki through his heat, but he was still mesmerised by the fact that Loki could come so many times, but not enough for his condition, never enough. Obviously, it had been a surprise to Loki as well back then (and not a pleasant one), especially judging by the ecstatic and, at the same time, torturously frustrated and distressed noises he'd been making. It was strange that something so extremely pleasurable could be so maddeningly unsatisfying even when it was too much.

     This time it wasn't different, even though it was no less intense, despite not being new and surprising any more. Thor tried his best to hold back his own orgasm, but he knew he wouldn't last as, hot and wet, Loki's muscles tightened around him over and over again in forceful spasms, never truly relaxing, while his body was shaking and he was so deliciously vocal. Thor was groaning, feeling his stomach knotting with pleasure; his thrusts became erratic and so powerful that Loki could barely stand, being pushed hard every time his brother slammed into him, knocking the breath out of him. Thor felt another one of Loki's orgasms round his member, and it was more than enough to bring the blond god himself over the edge. Shuddering, he pressed himself hard into the pliant body and filled it up with his hot seed. Loki was shaking violently in his arms, and Thor ran his hand over the ivory back soothingly, not sure which one of the two of them needed it most. He took several deep breaths, closing his eyes, but it wasn't the end. He repositioned Loki, placing him along the bed on his four, and climbed onto the bed as well, so that he was on his knees just behind the smaller male, who was panting and trying to get some friction on Thor's member that was still inside.

     The Thunderer just needed some time to be ready for sex again; it never took too long for him to get hard for the second or even third time when he desired. It were his partners for whom Thor's stamina and appetite could be a problem (there was a possibility it would've been a problem for Loki as well, if he wasn't in heat), but not for Thor himself. Helping himself with a hand, he was pushing in and pulling out of Loki completely, to keep himself from softening (he saw Loki squirming and doing his best not to start complaining selfishly about such teasing, unsatisfying movements), before he was fully hard again and ready for more. A groan of pleasure escaped Loki when Thor's thrusts became fast and hard again...

 

     Sometime later, Thor started wondering if giving Loki as much pleasure as possible could shorten the time of his heat, so he started hitting his brother's prostate hard with each powerful thrust, holding him tight in his arms and pressing Loki's back to his muscular chest, both of them on their knees. It was a perfect position to hit the right spot. But it didn't go well. Loki nearly bit through Thor's forearm, as he was desperately trying to muffle his throaty screams, writhing in unthinkable pleasure and agony that were so much that he very nearly turned hysterical, and the Thunderer was afraid to drive him completely insane for real, so he eased the assault on the unfortunate bundle of nerves, and Loki whined in something akin to relief, but his body kept shuddering, as if tortured with electricity. It had been a bad idea and Thor tried his best to calm Loki down, moving inside him just as he had before the bad idea had formed in his head. He decided that the bite mark on his forearm was fully deserved (it hurt though). He turned the hot, weakened and feverish body of his brother and put him onto his back, ignoring the distressed whine, because he'd had to pull out for a few moments, before pushing back in, already lying on top of Loki, between his spread legs. He wanted to see his brother's face, to relish each sound and expression, wanted to be held by the lean arms and legs, wanted to give and take everything that was possible to give and take. Loki looked surprised, as Thor had started kissing him, but then responded and wrapped his legs around the strong hips. Thor moaned approvingly into the kiss. Now it was more like lovemaking than mindless coupling, though it didn't make his thrusts any less deep or hard. He whispered passionate assurances into Loki's ear, and the pale arms and legs tightened around him.

     A few hours later he was a little tired and needed a little more rest than just time to become hard again. He coaxed Loki into having some rest as well, which wasn't easy, just as it hadn't been easy during Loki's first heat. There was nothing new about it, even though Thor had hoped that things would be easier for the both of them this time, due to some experience. While the younger god was squirming slightly under a light sheet, looking ill, Thor got up, not before promising to come back soon. Quickly, he got dressed, trying his best to look at least a little presentable, and left to get some food and water. The guards looked just as curious as before, but remained quiet as their Prince left and then came back with a barrel of water (he'd drank a good quarter of another barrel before coming back, though that one was smaller) and a sack of various foods.

     As expected, Loki pouted and turned his face away when Thor offered him to eat something (he'd had to ask, though, just in case), but was thankful for the cold water.

     After eating, drinking and having some time of just resting with Loki's tense body in his arms, Thor rewarded his brother for his patience by eagerly giving him more of what his nature desired most. The Thunderer was eager to save his exhaustion for later. He wanted to enjoy their closeness, wanted Loki to enjoy it as well, despite the damned heat.

 

* * *

 

     Just like the first time, it had lasted for almost four days; and, just like back then, Thor had managed to make the younger god have at least some sleep during their breaks, as well as to make him allow Thor to have the same luxury. But it hadn't been nearly enough and, now that it was over, both of them were sore and exhausted. Thor was lying on his back, his forearm under his head; Loki was lying against him on his side, but facing away from him. The two were under the only relatively clean sheet they had.

'Twenty nine...' Thor suddenly murmured pensively.

'What?' Loki whispered, almost startled out of his lethargy.

'About twenty nine moons between your heats. I thought we should know'.

'Oh...' And, suddenly, the silence between them was a little awkward; so many unsaid things were right there, looming over the two of them, but what exactly was there to say? Eventually, Thor heard that his brother's lips parted and he inhaled shakily, but no words followed for a few seconds.

'Remember, when we were mere youths, and I was just a foolish child... I invited you to... that place in the forest where I'd found an ancient skeleton of a young dragon; an extinct species?' he suddenly asked, his words quiet and slurred due to his tiredness and drowsiness. Thor strained his weary mind to understand what Loki was talking about.

'Ummm... I remember something like that, yes', he admitted.

'I wanted to impress you. It was my special place. I wanted it to be ours. Just yours and mine', Loki confessed.

'Is that so?'

'Yes. And, when I invited you there, you brought some obtuse cow with you, the one you were enamoured with back then'.

'I... I think I remember', Thor smiled uncertainly. 'Not her though; not even her name', he assured quickly (just in case). 'I remember the place'.

'I came back to that place the next day and burnt everything down', Loki murmured sleepily.

'I didn't know that', the blond god replied hesitantly, the smile disappeared from his face. He wanted to ask why his little brother had done it, but, somewhere deep inside, he already knew the answer to that question.

'Of course, you didn't', Loki sighed. There was no accusation in his voice, just sadness and fatigue. And that was it: no further explanations, no moral of the story; nothing. Maybe Loki was waiting for questions, but, if so, Thor was in no mood for these games.

'Loki...' he finally said. Unlike his brother, he was much more straightforward, and he just had to make some things clear. He didn't want Loki to turn defensive again or regretful of his openness, once he rested after his heat, which was in a few days. He could only hope his choice of words was going to be right and wouldn't make things worse. 'There's no Jane, Loki. We've long parted our ways. We'd known each other for only a few days, so I'm not certain there was ever anything at all. I may be angry with you, but it does not mean I've given up on you; it does not mean I ever shall', he confessed. He didn't fail to notice the way Loki frowned at the mentioned name of 'that mortal', but, thankfully, he seemed far too tired for making things even more difficult. So Thor continued: 'I'm yours, as much as you're mine, no more, no less. I do not know what happens now... Just... It's you. It has always been you', he finished with Loki's own words (assuming he even remembered saying them), hoping that the dark-haired god would accept his confession. No answer was given. Loki didn't look happy, though, but maybe it was due to his tiredness. Thor got up to drink some water. He noticed that Loki was suddenly tense, probably expecting the Thunderer to leave, but he relaxed as soon as Thor was back to him.

     Sitting on the bed, still naked, the blond god was watching Loki dozing off and half waking again. But then, blindly, helplessly and barely consciously, Loki reached out to him, failing to really locate him, as he couldn't keep his eyes open. Thor took his weak outstretched hand and lay down next to him, scooping him into a warm, confident embrace. Loki finally relaxed and stopped falling in and out of sleep. He just steeped into a deep slumber, his breathing steady. His head was resting on Thor's shoulder, and the Thunderer couldn't help gently running his knuckles over the side of his pale face before kissing his temple. Loki didn't stir, though, and Thor knew there was barely anything that could wake him up now. The blond god himself needed rest, but at first he had to finish everything here.

     Once again, he was glad that, at least, he'd managed to have short naps, while Loki had been in heat, and to make the younger male have them as well, no matter how hard it had been for him. But it, most definitely, wasn't sufficient. Being aroused for days without food and sleep, couldn't be good for a person's health. Everything about those heats didn't seem to be good for anybody's health. As far as Thor knew from the books on the Jötnar anatomy that he'd managed to find, without being taken by their 'mates', the Jötnar could be in the state of their torturous heats up to nine days, before it even started to abate. It had made him feel uneasy, as he'd imagined Loki being this ill for so many days, finding no relief, no comfort. It wouldn't have been surprising if Jötnar were really determined to get rid of that part of their nature for good, as some books suggested, though it could be just an assumption. But, at least, they knew how to suppress it. Thor wished the healers of Asgard knew how to do it, but nobody seemed to have a slightest idea when he had carefully approached the subject. Perhaps, sedation could be a good solution, but Thor couldn't be sure that it wouldn't harm Loki in some way.

     The selfish part of Thor, however, was glad that Loki depended on him. It was a small guarantee that they were not going to be separated from each other. No matter how, despite everything, they were attached to each other in their hearts anyway, even without Loki's nature that longed for Thor, it was good to have something else tying them together. He felt guilty for thinking that way, but he hated to be detached from Loki, to be drawn away by his cruel words and actions that did mean to draw him away, but then it was thrown in Thor's face, when it actually worked, and Loki was greatly hurt and offended because of it and needed the Thunderer back... just to push him away again. It was a vicious circle. Loki's capriciousness was overwhelming, loving him was a disaster, but Thor needed him and couldn't imagine his life without him, even though he really wasn't sure he needed this insanity in his life now that he was getting ready for the kingship.

     He was too exhausted to think about it and it was time for him to leave. The prison had to come back to its normal order.., just like everything else. Already dressed, he couldn't keep himself from sitting down onto the bed again and touching Loki's naked back; he wasn't sure if he imagined that, even in his sleep, his brother had instinctively leaned into the touch. The Thunder God was suddenly overcome with a wave of nostalgia. He remembered Loki and himself sitting in one of the royal halls, a servant was playing some calm song on the lyre (Thor even remembered the tune), while young, but no longer children, Thor and Loki were sitting next to each other and Loki was telling him some old legend he'd read a night before. Everything had been so simple back then. It was just a brief episode of their very long, shared past. Thor felt himself smiling sadly, but it faded soon. He closed his eyes and shook his head.

     He returned to clean Loki's sleeping body with a soft cloth and warm water, brought him some clean clothes (Loki's own, from the chambers that had used to belong to him, but now felt painfully empty without him, even though everything remained the same there) and fresh linens and furs for his bed. When Loki was cleaned and dressed in a light sleeping attire, Thor brought a couple of servants to fix and clean the cell, as well as to replace the ruined furniture and personal things. He dismissed them when they were done and cast the last sad glance at the sleeping form. It was hard to leave. He hated to leave Loki here again, but he had no choice. He sighed and walked away, allowing the guards to bring all the prisoners back where they belonged. Thor needed sleep and he couldn't delay it any longer, hoping he would make it to his bedchamber without collapsing on the way.

 

* * *

 

     During the following months, he often thought about Loki, and it felt like a dead end, since he just couldn't decide what to do with his brother and lover to make the both of them feel secure. It was either letting him rot in prison, no matter how comfortable his cell could be made, or letting out the one whom everybody considered a treacherous criminal. Both options felt wrong.

 

     He hoped his political visit to Vanaheim would clear his head enough for him to come up with something, once he was back, but it hadn't been helpful. The King of Vanaheim and his court had bent over backwards to entertain the future King of Asgard and defender of the Nine Realms. The King's four daughters with long, braided hair, just as red as their father's beard had once been, had tried to catch the Thunderer's attention, their bright, grey eyes playful and interested, but he'd made certain he was just polite to them, to avoid people getting wrong ideas that could become a ridiculous, but popular, gossip before he knew it. He absolutely didn't need anything like that at the moment.

     He'd managed to have a good time during his trip that had lasted for over two moons, but, once he was back on Asgard, he once more felt the acute urge to make some kind of a decision. He often caught his Mother's curious eyes looking at him. She knew. He had no doubts she knew everything. Frigga and Loki had a warm and strong emotional bond of mother and son, just like Thor and Frigga had their own (but probably somewhat different, because, no matter what he did and how old he was, Loki had always been and would always be her baby boy, even though she loved both of her sons equally), but, since Loki's imprisonment after his first heat, Frigga had been refraining from interfering with what was happening between her two sons. Of course, she knew that Thor had spent several days in Loki's cell and she, most definitely, knew why. But neither she, nor Odin had ever said a word about it. He was quite sure it was expected of him to come to them to discuss it, not the other way around, and, for some reason, he was also sure that it was all thanks to his Mother; she had probably convinced Father to stay out of it and leave it to Thor, who had already earned Odin's trust by trying hard to be a responsible son and Crown Prince.

 

     It had been about four moons since Loki's last heat. Thor had been asking about his brother's well-being, but had never once visited him in person, which he knew Loki would use to confront him one way or another, it was a given, but he was tired of delaying his visit. It had been a while since Thor had seen his brother **not** being in heat.

     When he entered the cell, he noticed a very brief look of surprise his brother gave him, but then his expression became mostly unreadable, and yet slightly spiteful, slightly indifferent and... accusing. He was sitting on his bed and, before the Thunderer had entered, he had been reading a book, no doubt sent or personally brought to him by Frigga.

'What do you want? I wasn't expecting you for another two years at least', he said emotionlessly and turned his face away from his guest, back to the book he was now pretending to read. 'Do I stink again?'

'I had to think. And I was away', Thor shrugged, ignoring the caustic remark. Loki was provoking him again to make him furious. The last time it had happened... nothing good had come out of it. The Thunderer sat down at the small table and was watching his brother carefully. He knew that what he'd said wasn't an excuse. He'd had hundreds of opportunities to come here.

'Oh? And where exactly, if I may ask?' the younger god wondered, failing to really keep emotions out of his voice, his eyebrows slightly raised, his eyes staring at the text in his book. Thor nearly rolled his eyes. Was Loki expecting him to say that he was on Midgard? He had hoped they were past this.

'On Vanaheim; as a part of our delegation', he replied honestly.

'I see', Loki murmured, as he kept pretending that he was reading. The blond god didn't know what to say. He wasn't even sure why exactly he had come here other than to simply see his brother.

'How are you, Loki?' he asked. And it wasn't just something to say to fill the uncomfortable silence. He genuinely wanted to know how his brother was, instead of learning it from somebody else.

'Perfect', was a cold reply.

'Would you like me to bring you something?'

'No. Mother brings me everything I need and **knows** what I need'. _'Unlike you',_ had been left unsaid, but Thor had heard it in his brother's words anyway.

'I've missed you'.

'I'm sure you have'. It was another cold response with flat and obvious sarcasm. Thor took a deep breath. It was ridiculous. They'd had sex countless of times, touched each other in every way possible, moaned and whispered many words of sweet or carnal nature to each other; they had kissed and slept in each other's arms. And now they couldn't even build a normal conversation, and Loki was incredibly irritating and did everything he could to make things even more complicated.

'Do you need me here at all?' the Thunderer sighed, still keeping his temper under control.

'I don't know. Do you not have other matters to attend to? Why are you even asking?' the younger god shrugged disinterestedly, sounding as if he believed that it was only natural of Thor to ignore a bother like him in favour of absolutely anything else. Thor was aware that it was a capricious exaggeration... at least for the most part, and Loki knew it, too.

'I'm asking, because, when I'm here you're impossible to reach out to, when I'm not here you're mad at me for not being here', the blond god stated the obvious. They'd already been through this, not long after Loki had been put into this cell, and it had ended with a big verbal fight and Loki's furious demands for Thor to get out, which the Thunderer had done, equally angry, and hadn't showed up for a couple of years before the second heat struck. At the moment, he just felt stupid for coming here without having a plan. Loki was cold and sullen, and talking to him felt like milling the wind. He wasn't sure it was much better than having chairs thrown at him, as it had happened the last time he'd visited.

     Thor was frowning for a few moments, but made himself relax and decided to act with the renewed determination. It was impossible to go on like this. He approached his brother and squatted in front of him to have a better view of the lowered green eyes.

'Look...' he calmly took the book out of Loki's hands and put it aside before looking up at the currently unreadable face. The green eyes kept evading Thor's blue ones. 'I do not have a prepared speech. I only wish I knew what you want. If you only want me when your heats strike, I shall accept it. But if there's more... I shall gratefully share it with you'. He knew there was more, of course; the question was whether Loki was really ready to accept it and needed it in his life at all. The younger god sighed, clearly uncomfortable with the subject.

'I see no point in answering. I'm in prison, and, therefore, my answer shall not make any difference. But, perhaps, you already know the answer, and, if not, I wonder how many more hundreds of years it will take you to figure it out. But it changes nothing, regardless'.

'And yet?' Thor insisted. At least, they were finally talking, even though Loki still seemed reluctant.

'The question is not what **I** want; the question is what **you** want. How much of what you feel is your ridiculous, stubborn desire to have your little brother back and pretend that nothing has happened since your failed coronation? If you wish to be with me for my sake, because our noble Prince Thor wants to "save" me, no matter the cost, and is ready to sacrifice his own personal freedom "for the greater good", I'm not interested. I'm not interested in your pity either; and if you feel obligated, due to the bond you unknowingly created by mounting me like a harlot, the bond, which you do not even feel and which means nothing to you, then I also refuse to discuss it any further'.

'It's not about that, Loki', Thor objected, helplessly running his hand through his long hair, trying to find the right words that would make difference. 'Damnation...' he sighed.

'Oh? Don't tell me you're going to just pretend to forget what I am or pretend that I'm still something I am not. We both know what I am. I always knew you had a bad taste in choosing a hole to stick your manhood into, and your recent... ummm... conquests were particularly demonstrative in this regard, but this time you've outdone yourself... A Jötunn, Thor?' Loki snorted, shaking his head in mock shock.

'Enough!' Thor growled, finally losing his patience. He quickly got up on his feet and started pacing the cell angrily. 'By the Norns! Why can't you see: I don't care if we're related by blood or not, you're still my brother, but I want you in my bed all the same! It's still **you**! I don't care if you're a Jötunn or a Vanr; if you're from Múspellsheim or straight from the deepest, filthiest hole of Helheim!' he nearly roared. Loki watched him with his eyes wide open. His eyebrows were raised comically before his expression relaxed slightly.

'Are you insane?' he asked after a few moments of silence, looking Thor in the eye, for once.

'Yes', Thor snapped, but somewhat calmly and tiredly this time.

'I see...' Loki nodded; it was light and carefree. He looked away. Thor knew that his brother had been simply teasing and provoking him, at least for the most part, and, sad but true, he had got what he wanted, which was the Thunderer losing his temper. There really were other things they should've been discussing, instead of this nonsense.

     They were silent again and he finally noticed that most other prisoners, those who were close enough to see, were watching them curiously after his short outburst. They supposedly had been watching from the moment he'd entered the cell, but he'd paid them no attention before.

'I'd be grateful if you veiled us with your magic. Your neighbours seek entertainment', he chuckled grumpily; there was little humour in it, though.

'And who could blame them? After all, the circus has arrived to our boring place', Loki shrugged, but then his expression became serious. 'I... I'm not certain I can do it now'.

'Why?'

'Because my magic is slightly unstable, at the moment'.

'Why is it unstable? Are you unwell?' Thor enquired, a little worried.

'No... Give me a moment...' Loki frowned a little and concentrated. It didn't seem to be working at first, but he tried once more, and this time it did work, although Thor could see that it wasn't easy for his brother, for some reason. He could only see some shapeless, transparent shadows over the magical walls that surrounded the cell, and he could see through them, almost just as well as he could before, but he knew that, from the outside, people could only see an illusion. And it obviously looked boring enough for the no longer curious prisoners to turn away with slight disappointment.

'Loki...' Thor sighed. The younger god didn't recoil when he tentatively touched his hair, taking one black strand between his fingers and slowly dragging them down, pulling ever so gently. The need to touch was almost painful, though he couldn't tell how welcome it was. When he let go, he traced the dark eyebrow with his thumb and leaned down, trying to make the green eyes meet his own. He only succeeded when he was as close as to softly press their foreheads together. Thor craved the closeness, and now, more than ever, he felt how vital it was; how special it was, it always had been. Loki didn't try to push him away, but he also did nothing to encourage Thor. The older of the two, however, didn't need any encouragement. He was certain he wasn't imagining the very slight trembling of Loki's almost still body, wasn't imagining how uneven his breathing was, how it hitched in his throat. Thor was slightly angry with himself for letting his needs guide him when he had to be rational. Rationality had never been his forte, though.

     He was acting slowly; he took his time, cupping Loki's neck with one hand and gently tugging at another strand of the black hair with his other hand; but, as their noses touched and Thor tilted his head and closed his eyes, without waiting, he impatiently captured Loki's mouth with his own and deepened the kiss immediately, probably before Loki's mind had even registered that he was being kissed. The younger of the two moaned barely audibly, and, for a few moments, it felt like he was about to pull himself away. It only made Thor's kiss desperately persistent, he attacked the younger god's mouth with even more vigour and depth, and, soon, his brother gave in with another soft, muffled moan. The Thunderer enjoyed every moment of it, but he wanted more... so much more. Loki, however, broke the kiss and slightly turned his face away.

'And what are you doing, Thor?' he murmured breathily.

'Another big mistake, no doubt', Thor half-joked with a small, not quite happy, smile. 'You do not try to stop me though'.

'Surprised? Ahh... So you have finally discovered that I don't only need you when I'm in heat? It took you long enough, but... Congratulations, Thor'. It was not a kind answer and Thor shut his mouth with another kiss. They both knew that the older god had been aware of his brother's feelings; it was Loki's readiness to take it all somewhere, his readiness to decide what he wanted to do about it, that the Thunderer had no idea about. The younger god just wanted to pique him somehow; it was self-defence, a strange way to guard his heart, to conceal his vulnerability. It was hardly a surprise coming from him.

     Their kisses turned angry and frustrated. Thor's hands pressed Loki's shoulders inwards, squeezing them almost hard enough to bruise, but not quite. Loki didn't seem to mind. At first, his hands were resting on his own thighs, loosely clasped together, but then Thor felt one of them in his hair and another one on his shoulder.

     It wasn't something he'd come here for. He had been supposed to talk to Loki and decide what to do with him; what to do with **them**. But words only brought them to a dead end. Almost without his mind following, his hands started undressing the younger male, as well as himself. It didn't take long before they were in the bed, half-covered with sheets; Loki was lying in a prone position and Thor was covering his back with his body and kissing his upper back, slowly rubbing his erection between the pale thighs. Loki put something into his hand and Thor was distracted from his carnal activity for a second just to see a vial of oil on his palm, supposedly taken from under a pillow, an action he had been too busy to notice. He groaned, softly but deeply, at the thought of Loki playing with himself under the covers, using this oil.

     He felt light-headed at the sweet feeling of his oiled manhood slowly sinking into Loki's pert bottom, and no less sweet feeling of his sack pressing against the said bottom when he was fully inside. He liked being so well-endowed, because, at the moment, he absolutely desired to be this deep inside Loki. The blond god allowed himself to close his eyes and inhaled shakily; the sensation of tight, pulsating flesh around him was fantastic. He could feel Loki slightly squirming under him due to the initial discomfort of being penetrated by something of this length and width. Thor allowed him to relax before he started moving, without haste at first.

     He was almost enchanted, watching the way Loki's eyelashes fluttered, as his eyes were closed in bliss, his mouth opened, letting out breathy pants. He was relatively quiet now that he wasn't in heat that made him a rather loud lover, but it was clear that he did enjoy himself immensely. His face was contorted in pleasure, his back arching; one of his hands was clenching the bedcovers, the other one - Thor's forearm. He was lying flush on his front, nearly lost under Thor's big and heavy body that was pressing him into the bed. His face was on the pillow, turned to one side and heir faces almost never stopped touching. He obviously didn't mind that his skin was being slightly rubbed by the blond beard. Thor was panting against the side of the pale, smooth face. Sometimes he allowed himself to kiss Loki's neck, cheek or temple, or suck on his earlobe; or trail lazy, open-mouthed kisses over the nape of the pale neck up to the cheekbone and then towards the thin lips before kissing them, too. He could tell that Loki absolutely enjoyed the attention; enjoyed being pressed down by Thor's muscular body, enjoyed the feeling of Thor's hot breath against his skin, as well as the sensation of a calloused hand roaming over his pale thigh. The kisses of Thor's mouth and the touch of his breath made the younger male's skin break out into goose pimples.

     It seemed to be one of the most intimate moments they'd ever shared. Thor decided to use this moment to murmur: 'I love you', softly into Loki's ear, as if it was the greatest secret in the Universe. It really wasn't...

     Loki didn't answer, didn't open his eyes, but Thor saw his smile. The Thunderer found it surprisingly easy, if not to forget, then just to let go the pain they'd caused each other during the last several years. It could very well be a temporary feeling, but he didn't care. He wanted to forgive Loki everything; he wanted Loki to forgive him. It felt so right to lie in the same bed, bodies pressed flush together, that it was easy to ignore that they were in a prison cell. **They** mattered more than anything else. They were so different, and yet, somehow, perfectly well-matched and complete when together.

     As Thor sped up, he heard Loki emitting soft, sobbing gasps and felt the way the younger god slightly lifted his buttocks, making it easier to thrust into him, which incited Thor to move even faster. Soon, with a deep moan, he was spilling deep into Loki, who squealed in pleasure, tightened all over and lifted his hips just enough to make room so he could take his own erection into his hand. Thor was still in the embrace of pleasure, but his hand joined Loki's on an impulse, snaking underneath his body, never breaking the contact of his palm with the pale skin on the way there. He wrapped his hand around Loki's own frantic one, only letting go occasionally, just to tease the base or the head of the younger god's penis. Together, they rather quickly stroke him to completion, and the lean body arched and stiffened under Thor, as Loki came with a long, loud and harsh cry, his face pink. The older male was still buried deep inside him, enjoying the way the tense, shuddering body felt beneath his own. He groaned, softly sinking his teeth into the nape of Loki's neck, not intending to actually hurt him.

     After that, Loki seemed boneless and, even more than before, pressed into the bed by the equally relaxed Thor. The younger of the two seemed content and satisfied, for once. It had never looked like it during his heats, even when they had been over. He had simply seemed exhausted, a bone-deep fatigue made any satisfaction already unnecessary and impossible.

     They were recovering their breath, and the Thunderer felt like closing his eyes. Upon opening them, he saw Loki's hand resting on top of the pillow next to his head, and Thor sucked on the elegant fingers for a few seconds, cleaning the warm, slightly bitter, seed off of them; there wasn't much (most of it was under them, apparently) and he quickly licked the rest of it off of Loki's palm. After that, he closed his eyes once more, sighing and resting his face on top of Loki's, and let himself enjoy the closeness, enjoy his lover's scent, the feeling of smooth skin against his own. The younger god's body felt so comfortably relaxed... Still not opening his eyes, Thor buried his nose into the black hair and inhaled.

     He seemed to have lost concentration on the reality, and, as he opened his eyes again, he saw that Loki's eyes were half-lidded and pensive, not looking at anything in particular, but rather having a faraway look in them. Thor refrained from asking what Loki was thinking of; instead, he rolled off him onto the bed next to him and was watching his face absent-mindedly.

'I'm tired. I shall have to drop the illusion soon', Loki said quietly, a few minutes later. 'I'm surprised it's been up for such a long time with hardly any flaws', he added indifferently, never meeting Thor's eyes. The Thunderer opened his mouth to once again ask what was wrong with his brother's magic. He also wanted to know what was going to happen to them now; he wanted to know Loki's opinion on the matter, even though he expected another difficult, dead end conversation.

'No', Loki said firmly and coldly, before the older of the two had even made a sound. Thor closed his mouth obediently, his questions left unasked. There was definitely something on Loki's mind, and Thor had no choice but wait, failing to make the green eyes meet his. He wasn't even sure the younger god would say anything. Maybe the conversation was already over on Loki's part, so there was nothing to wait for.

'There's something you do not know, but you shall find out one way or another, so...' Loki said suddenly after a long pause.

'I'm already worried', the Thunderer confessed, a little jokingly, trying to release the growing tension.

'You should be', Loki said gravely, frowning and narrowing his eyes, as he finally looked into Thor's before turning his face away. He sighed and buried his face in his hands, looking lost and trying to collect himself. And Thor truly felt uneasy now. Had Loki done something? It was unlikely that he could do much from his cell, but still... Had something bad happened to him, something that the Thunderer didn't know already? What if the guards had wronged him in Thor's absence and it had been deliberately hushed up? What if he'd got ill, which explained his 'unstable' magic, and hadn't been given a proper treatment?

     Perhaps, in order to give himself more time, Loki got up and started to get dressed. Eventually, Thor followed his example, not willing to lie naked in bed when something really serious was about to happen. Did he already have to brace himself and try his best to avoid getting angry with Loki, who may or may not have done something truly bad and was about to confess it? Already dressed, the younger god sat down onto the bed, facing away from Thor. He looked calm, but it was more like he had simply accepted that he would have to talk anyway, regardless of the consequences. And, finally, he just said:

'I'm carrying your child'.

     It was the last thing Thor had expected to hear. He had to remember how to breathe. He had myriads of questions suddenly running through his mind, but the shock let none of them reach his mouth. Loki looked resigned to whatever was going to follow his confession. There was a chance all of it was a joke, a trick, but, looking at his brother, the Thunderer felt that it wasn't, unless Loki had reached a new low. And yet, Thor couldn't help thinking that his brother wasn't lying this time. What was the point in lying if it was easy to check to confirm or disprove?

'Why didn't you tell me sooner?' he asked when he found his voice again.

'I had to be certain what I am to you. You're too honourable for your own good; you would be with me just because of your child. I don't need some... scraps from you. Or you could've been less honourable, took the child from me, which you would have had every right to do, since I'm a prisoner, and raised him with somebody else. As a matter of fact, it's still possible'.

'Do you truly expect me to do something like that?' Thor frowned.

'You could be pressured into it, considering our situation', the younger of the two shrugged. 'I, on the other hand, wanted to use this child to manipulate you at first', he confessed. It wasn't shocking, not even surprising, coming from his younger brother, and Thor had, most definitely, heard worse things from him.

'So why wouldn't you?' he asked, nevertheless. The younger god sighed and got up. He shrugged, not turning to the other man.

'I do not wish him to be a tool. I do not wish to use him', he replied calmly, his hand nearly touched his own stomach, but he let it drop slowly. The Thunderer could briefly see the way his face softened before it hardened again, turning angry and bitter. 'Or, perhaps, this is exactly what I'm doing now: trying to manipulate you, making you believe in my honesty and good intentions', Loki snapped peevishly, suddenly turning defensive and angrily walking towards one of the transparent magical walls of the cell, looking as if he was interested in the ornament on the opposite wall. It was only then that Thor noticed that his brother's illusion had already dissolved and probably hadn't been up for some time now. It no longer mattered, though.

     He wondered how he hadn't noticed the slight curve of Loki's belly before. On the other hand, it was still small enough to easily overlook. Slowly, the blond god paced the cell from one magical wall to another, feeling that he was being covertly watched by the younger brother out of the corner of his eye. The silence wasn't pleasant, but Thor needed time to wrap his head around everything. Eventually, he sat down on the chair, facing Loki. He suddenly realised that he wasn't quite surprised by this unexpected pregnancy. He was an adult man, not a boy, and he very well knew that sex could lead to pregnancy, especially given that his lover had been in heat. The Thunderer just hadn't thought that Loki and he were physically compatible enough to conceive a child. And yet, he found himself already starting to accept the situation. He was also sensible enough to be aware that the pregnancy wasn't going to resolve like a swelling and just disappear, so decisions had to be made.

'H-how are you feeling?' he asked. He meant Loki's physical state, knowing that, emotionally, his brother was insecure, which wasn't surprising since he was pregnant and in prison. The younger god seemed to understand what exactly Thor was asking about.

'Still going through morning sickness sometimes, but, otherwise, not so bad, I suppose', he shrugged. 'Oh, and I pee a lot', he added, sounding quite casual and serious. Thor shifted uncomfortably.

'Does Mother know?'

'Of course, she does. I made her swear she wouldn't tell anybody, especially you', the dark-haired god said. Thor didn't like the last part of the answer, but he knew Loki was being defensive, so he let it slip.

'I don't know what to do, but I can't allow our child to be born here. I don't want **you** here; I never have', he confessed.

'It's quite simple, Thor. People will only see this child as a key that opens this cell for me to leave; they will accuse me of setting this up on purpose. But I do not care; I lose nothing, and leaving this place would compensate for at least some inconveniences out there. You, however... There's nothing you can do that would not ruin your reputation if you let me out. So many efforts to study, making up for the lost time, to be groomed as a Crown Prince, who should become a ruler they all believe in, and now there's such a stain on your honour', Loki smirked humourlessly. 'A child you conceived with a Jötunn prisoner, who had been raised as your brother, a concealed monster, who was absolutely meant to go berserk one day, can seriously make people wonder if you're sane enough to be their King'.

'They shall have no choice but accept it', Thor replied.

'Ah, the perks of monarchy', the younger god smiled wryly, which appeared to be somewhat coquettish. His face became serious soon enough, though. 'As long as this child does not become a scapegoat because of your choices, Your Majesty is free to do as he pleases'. In the end, he smirked again softly, which was partially erased by a light scowl he gave to the imperturbable guard, who was unhurriedly walking past the cell outside.

'I shall not let it happen', Thor promised. He felt confident. It was his child and a grandchild of Odin; people would have to respect this fact. And, if it wasn't enough, Thor wouldn't let any harm come to a child of his, Frigga wouldn't either, not to mention Loki himself. It wasn't an easy talk though, so he decided to change the subject for now: 'So... you do feel our... bond. What does it feel like? Does it make you feel bad when I'm not here?' he asked. It wasn't just his curiosity; he needed to provide Loki as much comfort as possible to ease the burden of his condition. He couldn't just leave this cell together with his brother. He would have to leave him here alone for some more time, because he wanted to do things properly, instead of being impulsive and reckless and ruining every possible chance. It was too risky as it was. And Odin was still King. The blond god was sure Loki was aware of all of those things as well. Loki raised his eyebrow at the questions, giving Thor a brief look. And yet, he answered:

'It's purely physical and gets more tangible the closer I get to my heats. It feels particularly intense during heats. In everything else...' He turned away even more, so that Thor couldn't see his face. '...There's nothing I haven't felt before'. The last part was close enough to a declaration of love. The bond wasn't really affecting the feelings he'd had before, for a long time. Thor couldn't help but smile. Loki glared at him out of the corner of one of his narrowed eyes, and the Thunderer made an effort to stop smiling; not that he really meant to, so he was sure his effort looked almost comical.

'Is that all?' he asked.

'It recognises the child I'm carrying as yours. Not that there's any doubt, at any rate. But the bond ensures that I'm aware that the child is sired by the " **right** " person', Loki scoffed, slightly annoyed. 'It's just an instinct, nothing more'. He sat down onto the bed and sighed. Thor was watching him for some time before deciding to approach. There was some space between the cells, but the two of them could be seen from the outside perfectly well. Perhaps, they were being watched by some, but Thor couldn't make himself care. He was kissing Loki now or pressing their foreheads together for some time when they needed to take a breath. His hand was cupping his lover's neck. As they kept kissing, the Thunderer allowed himself to touch the still small curve of Loki's stomach.

     It was hard to leave, so he kept kissing the younger god, again and again, before, finally, he was ready to go, because he had things to do.

'There's still a lot for us to discuss', he murmured. The fact that they were going to be parents, the fact that they'd just made love to each other, didn't automatically make everything fine. But Thor was ready to fight for it. 'You said: " **he** " ', he smiled. It seemed to have taken Loki a moment to realise that he was talking about the child.

'Umm... Yes, I believe so', he nodded.

'I shall come back, as soon as I'm able to. I shall come back to take you with me', he promised. Loki looked sceptical, but didn't argue.

'Thor', he called out when the older of the two turned to leave and was already almost on the other side of the transparent wall.

'Yes?' Thor stopped and looked back at him.

'If you're planning on coming back any time within the next few years, bring me some birch sap', his brother and lover requested serenely, his fingers lazily and absent-mindedly playing with the gold torc around his neck. Thor rolled his eyes at the first half of the sentence.

'But you hate birch sap', he smiled slightly.

'Yes, I do', Loki shrugged. And that was it. Thor shook his head light-heartedly and left.

 

     He was absorbed in his thoughts on the way back to the palace. Whether, still unaware, Asgard liked it or not, apparently, Loki was carrying their future king in his womb, Thor's heir. Suddenly, the future seemed less obscure to him. At the same time, he knew that things couldn't be easy when Loki was involved. But he'd seen enough; the God of Mischief cared for their child a lot, loved that child already. Even if he chose to be difficult, he would put their child's needs first. At the very worst, Loki would just be pleased that his son would take the throne one day (it was enough for Thor to just acknowledge the child as his heir, and nothing else was required), although, to the Thunderer, it was obvious that things were less cold and calculated than that on Loki's part, and he did love both Thor and their child, which, of course, didn't disallow some calculation, regardless. It was Loki, after all; not that Thor minded.

     The blond god reminded himself that it was a little too early to think about such a distant future. He also wasn't going to use the child to mend things between his little brother and himself. Although it was a good enough motivation, Thor and Loki had much more than that between them.

     He knew he probably should be stupefied and worried about their future now that he knew about the pregnancy, and, to some extent, he was, but there was too much at stake to allow himself to panic.

 

* * *

 

     This very evening, he entered one of the spacious palace halls, meant only for the royal family to spend time together. The King and the Queen had been warned about this meeting beforehand via a servant. Thor bowed before his Father, who gave him a nod of acknowledgement; he kissed his Mother's soft, gentle hands, before inviting both of his parents to sit down, after which he sat down on the soft chair in front of them. He dismissed the servants with a gesture and everybody, except for Thor and his parents, left the hall quietly, but quickly. For a few moments, the Thunder God kept his pensive gaze in the direction of the balcony, but then he took a deep breath and confidently faced his parents.

'Mother, Father, I wish to speak to you', he said in his deep, strong, but calm voice. His Mother immediately gave him a warm, knowing and... proud (?) smile. Odin's face was unreadable, but to Thor it was obvious that both of his parents already knew what exactly he was going to talk to them about. He hadn't had many doubts that both of them were quite aware of what was going on between Loki and himself and of the current delicate condition of the younger of the two of them (Loki had already confirmed that Frigga knew), but now, in their eyes, he saw evidence that they'd, indeed, known everything all along, possibly since the day Loki had been brought back in chains. And, yes, it looked like they had been waiting for him to come to them with this talk on his own accord (once more, Thor had a feeling that it really was his Mother who had made his Father refrain from meddling with anything before Thor was ready. Odin could think anything he wanted about Loki, but Thor was a part of it, too, and both Father and son had developed more understanding towards each other during the recent years).

 

* * *

 

     The Allfather was quite harsh, even cruel, with his words when the prisoner had been brought before him. The Trickster God's magic was to be restrained, except for some very basic abilities; he was given one chance, just one, and, if he did anything that made Odin seriously suspect that he was a threat again, he would be thrown back into the dungeon, possibly in a less comfortable cell than before, his child would be taken from him for good and would never see its mother again. Odin would only allow Loki freedom, if Thor agreed to never change those conditions, once he's King, and it wouldn't take Loki to do much for his new limited freedom to be taken from him, if something he did proved him dangerous. On the other hand, the Allfather was aware that somebody could take this opportunity to falsely incriminate Loki, one way or another, frame him to get him out of the picture, and he was going to punish such attempts severely if they happened; he made it clear before the court.

     On Odin's part, the general message was: _'I (mostly) trust your judgement, Thor, but I want to take precautions, for everyone's good, including your own',_ even though this particular statement hadn't been spoken aloud. It was the Father's way to ensure Thor's safety, as well as the safety of other people, regardless of Loki's intentions.

     Thor knew that his Father wanted to appear harsher than he actually felt towards his adopted son. But Loki seemed to have taken it to heart, and Thor caught the moment his face turned pained, even though the expression was gone moments later and he tried to appear indifferent. The Thunderer knew that Odin didn't hate Loki. He'd found him, tiny and dying, as a baby, hungry and cold, had raised him from infancy, loved and cared for him for many hundreds of years; it was too much to just cross out and forget. The same was on Loki's part, Thor was sure of it, and it didn't matter how bitter his little brother was. This cold and one-sided talk by itself was an ordeal for both Odin and Loki, and Thor never once dared to interfere.

 

     The Thunderer himself didn't trust his lover completely so far (after everything that had happened, he did have a good reason not to), but he was wholeheartedly ready to give him a chance, for their good, for their child's good. As expected, some whispered that Loki had been planning it all along. Thor doubted that his brother had planned to actually get pregnant, but the opportunities that his condition had given him were illogical to dismiss, so calculation was there, one way or another. And it wasn't bad at all. In fact, Thor was glad that, if everything worked out well, he could offer Loki more than just his feelings; he could offer him a secure future of a future ruler's parent. It was a good prospect, good chances in life, especially after such a downfall. It was up to his little brother if he was going to accept the conditions and spend his life relatively free, with the King of Asgard, when Thor became one, raising their son and being respected (at least on the outside, because Thor didn't have any illusions about people actually liking and respecting Loki now, or about Loki trying to change that), or if he was going to be back to prison, even more disgraced than before, and not allowed to see his son ever again, let alone be a part of his life. Thor was terrified at the thought of taking their child away like that; he really hoped things would never come down to anything like that. Loki wouldn't want to risk it though, the Thunder God was certain of that.

 

     After Loki's release, Odin and his adopted son stayed away from each other, but, it seemed, Loki always felt like he was being watched.

 

* * *

 

     Things were rather peaceful for all of them, as months went by. Loki was growing. His belly was round and he gained weight where Thor absolutely enjoyed touching him.

 

     It seemed the only thing that interfered with the peace (except for the arguments Thor and Loki had, from time to time, as they were trying to adjust to each other, and arguments and fights were inevitable, and even expected, since the problems wouldn't miraculously disappear just because they were together and expecting a child) was the fact that Loki didn't get along the royal healers, to put it mildly. He made sure their lives were hard and miserable, not just because of his occasional moodiness, but because they just wouldn't leave him alone during his last months of pregnancy. He hated being scrutinised by them as often as they wanted to examine him, because there were things they weren't certain about in his particular case.

'He's due when he's due! Now, out! Out!' he snarled furiously. They meant well, they tried to explain him that it would do neither him, nor his child, any good if he was having a post term pregnancy, but his dismissal meant exactly what it was. They had said before that the baby wasn't yet developed enough, so Loki refused to let them make him worried more than necessary, even though the expected date of the baby's birth had already passed.

 

     He ended up carrying the child for nearly two and a half months longer than women of Asgard normally did (which was Loki's main argument against the healers and their attentions he hated so much: he wasn't an Ás, nor was he a woman), but then he went into labour, and, in fact, it wasn't such a big surprise, considering how heavy he'd felt for days and how low the baby had been situated in his pelvis, not to mention that his body had actually prepared itself to be able to expel the baby, making a way out for it. He'd felt like a branch, weighed down by a heavy, ripe fruit, which had given him an instinctive knowledge that he'd been close.

 

* * *

 

     Thor was watching wide-eyed as his son started screaming, shortly after being pushed out of Loki's body. The cooing of a midwife, who praised the baby's strong lungs didn't impress the newborn at all. The protest was loud and clear. Loki looked at the baby with worry at first, seemingly forgetting about the pain for a short while. Thor knew his secret fear: Loki had been afraid that the baby would look like a 'monster'. The Thunderer had been aware of that fear and, while he hadn't thought that he, personally, cared at all (their boy was a half-Jötunn, it was the fact he just accepted, just like he accepted his lover's nature; it wasn't even important), he had been worried that, if their child actually looked like he was a half-Jötunn, Loki would reject and abandon their son. He felt guilty for thinking that way, Loki loved the baby, but Thor couldn't be sure how his beloved would react; they had never talked about it. The newborn, however, looked like a regular Asgardian baby; nothing about him had startled the healer or the midwife in any way. The blond god could feel his brother relaxing at it, taking the child into his waiting arms, but didn't comment.

     They decided against naming him right away. They had several names to consider, but settled on taking a couple of days to see which one of them seemed more fitting.

     Once the afterbirth was out, Thor gently squeezed Loki's shoulder and kissed his hot temple after helping him to lie down as comfortably as possible. Loki was still in pain and needed rest, only having to wait until he was cleaned and his bedcovers changed.

'Isn't he beautiful?' the midwife cooed at the baby. Thor knew he would never understand how anybody at all found newborn babies... beautiful. They were all wrinkled, slightly (or not slightly) purple, because they struggled to breathe after having no need to; their heads were a little, even though temporarily, deformed due to all the pressure they'd had to endure on the way out. Loud screams were coming out of their toothless mouths, their faces were scrunched up and reddened, as they screamed; stumps of their umbilical cords were sticking out of their bellies, until they dried and fell off. Thor refrained from speaking his opinion on the subject; he didn't want any affronted and indignant objections coming his way, stating that he didn't understand anything.

     No, his baby wasn't an exception; he was just like the other newborns that, in Thor's opinion, were **not** beautiful, but his son was a miracle and the Thunderer already loved him more than it was possible to put into words, had loved him even before the boy had started kicking inside Loki's belly.

     Frigga and Odin entered when, exhausted, Loki was already half-asleep after many hours of pain and strain, even though the progressing painful contractions had taken the majority of that time, comparing to the time it had taken Loki to actually deliver the baby, which hadn't really taken long in itself. The cleaned, wrapped up newborn, who already had a healthier skin colour and was mostly calm by now, was in Thor's muscular arms. He seemed almost weightless and so delicate that the Thunder God had to ensure he was extra-careful with the new life he was holding. He allowed Odin to take the child and have a look at his grandson. Meanwhile, Frigga's soothing hand caressed Loki's hair, as he was falling asleep; her comforting touch and soft-spoken words guided him into a deep slumber.

     Thor smiled slightly, as he watched his Father gently rocking the baby in his arms. It was clear to him now that, not only his son had two parents, but he also had two grandparents as well. He'd had doubts, because Odin's opinion had not been obvious when it came to Loki's pregnancy. He had not quite been indifferent, definitely not opposed to it, but it had never been possible to guess what exactly he'd thought about the whole situation, so Thor hadn't been certain if his Father would even be interested in being included into the child's life. The Thunderer no longer had those doubts and inwardly sighed in relief. He loved both of his parents, loved Loki, loved their son, so it would've caused him a great deal of suffering if he had to choose between all of them.

     Frigga joined Odin. She was next to him, cooing at their newborn grandson, who was squirming and gurgling in response. Thor decided to give it to them, no matter how much he wanted to have the warm, little body back into his arms. He was going to have plenty of time for it later, but, for now, he decided to come back to Loki's side... As he always did.

 

 

**THE END**

 

**Author's Note:**

> If you'd like to see my pregnant!Loki art (with Thor, of course ;) ), you can find it here: <http://evilconcubine.deviantart.com/art/The-Extension-Of-Us-412143179>
> 
> Or here on AO3: <http://archiveofourown.org/works/5992015/chapters/13820176>
> 
>  
> 
> **It's quite NSFW!**


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